New Group Seeks to Replicate The MiLL’s Success in Other Locales

The MiLL in Colorado Springs trains 450 students each year.

The National Woods Board has been created to tackle the woodworking industry’s vexxing challenge of recruiting, training and retaining skilled workers, according to Woodworking Network.

The National Woods Board was formally announced at the 2022 Executive Brieifing Conference, organized by Woodworking Network in Colorado Springs, Colo. Colorado Springs is also home to The Mill, short for Manufacturing Industry Learning Lab. The MiLL occupries a well-equipped 45,000-square-foot facility and trains 450 students a year with 61 exclusive industry partners supporting the program.

Thomas Allott is chairman of the new group that includes volunteers representing industry and education. Allott, learning and development manager of Stiles Machinery, is also a member of the Woodwork Career Alliance of North America’s Board of Directors.

“The mission of the National Woods Board is to replicate and proliferate the MiLL model on a national level by providing a collaborative platform between industry and technical education,” Allott said. “Our vision is to bridge the gap between education and the trades, creating advanced career opportunities that fulfill the industry’s massive workforce needs.”

The National Woods Board is a 50a(c)3 non-profit organization. The group’s board has set a goal of raising $100,000 to seed the project.

For more information about making a donation or receiving more infomration, email info@nationalwoodsboard.org.

Read Woodworking Network’s report.